Unexpected
by AshTMI17
Summary: Clary is shocked when her mom surprises her with a crazy announcements. Suddenly, she finds herself on a cruise with her mom, a new family, and the golden boy who always made her life miserable. Will she learn to adapt to her new life? Or will she be miserable?
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the characters - they belong to Cassandra Clare. All I own is the plot. **

"You can't be serious!" I was yelling at my mom, totally disregarding her angry face, which was silently warning me to back off. "You're MARRIED? You didn't even tell me you were dating! And now you want me to accept some stranger as my new dad. Dad just died two years ago. How could you do this to me?!" My mom went to Europe for work, and came back with a ring on her finger. Who does that? After my outburst, I bolted upstairs and slammed my bedroom door behind me as I jumped on my bed. I don't even know how long I cried before I heard a quiet knock on my door. My mom opened the door and stuck her head in, "Clary, we need to talk about this. I know this is sudden, but Robert and I fell in love. I didn't expect it to go so fast. It just happened. He understood – he lost his wife a few years ago, too. That's where we met, at that widower support group – then we ran into each other in Paris. I swear, I didn't mean to do all this without talking to you. I know you miss you dad, I miss him too. He was my best friend, my everything. But he would want me to be happy Clary, and I would really like it if you could help me be happy. He will never be your dad, but maybe you can grow to accept him as a part of our lives." I was crying even harder now. I nodded at my mom. "I'll try, Mom. I can't make promises." "Great," she replied, "because we are going out to dinner with Robert and his children this evening. They will pick us up at six." _Great,_ I thought, _there are kids, too. Super._ "Sure mom, I'll be ready."

At 5:50, I looked at myself in the mirror. My red curls were actually under control and not sticking up all over the place. My makeup was light and natural. I wore a light blue sundress that hit mid-thigh and white sandals. Grabbing my purse, I hesitantly left my room to meet my mom downstairs. "Clary, you look beautiful!" she exclaimed as I sat down on the sofa next to her. "Thanks Mom," I replied, "you look good too!" She really did in her gold maxi dress. "Thank you, honey. And thank you for trying." I just smiled and then the door rang. My mom jumped up and opened the door quickly. "Robert, you're here!" She sounded so excited, I hadn't seen her this happy since Dad died. I couldn't help but smile. "Hey Joce, this is my daughter, Isabelle. Alec is coming behind us in his car. I hope you don't mind, but his friend will be joining us as well." I couldn't see the newcomers from my spot on the couch, but luckily mom ushered them in to the house. I raised my head and immediately locked eyes with the tall, dark haired beauty standing in front of me. _Oh my God. No, this cannot be happening to me._

I jumped up. "Isabelle Lightwood? YOU'RE my new stepsister!?" _Aline Pennhallow's best friend is my stepsister. Holy crap, why me? A popular tormentor is now related to me! _"Hey, Clary, right? You look familiar," she said, smiling slightly. I wanted to throw up. "Yeah, I should. You and the rest of Aline's crew have been tormenting me and my friends for years!" She blushed. Robert and my mom were deep in conversation, ignoring us completely. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. Aline and I had a huge fight at the beginning of the summer because I couldn't deal with her attitude. I'm sick of sitting back and letting her treat people like crap. Can we just start over, please?" Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door and I ran to answer it. Alec Lightwood stood in front of me. Unlike his sister, he was actually a really nice guy, but shy. "Oh, hi Alec! Your dad and sister are inside, come on in," I said, trying to be friendly. He smiled at me as he entered. Before I could close the door, a tan hand stopped me. Then, before me stood Jace Herondale. The hottest, most popular, more irritating guy in school. _Damn, I totally forgot he was Alec's best friend. Ughhh. _"Hey Red, long time no see," he said, as he scooted past me to enter my house. I felt a shock of electricity as his arm grazed mine. "You look great," he whispered as we passed. I was beyond surprised. He was a player, every girl in school was in love with him. Besides me, at least. But he was never complimentary. He was never kind, at least not to most people.

As I stood there, stunned, Robert said, "Alright guys, let's go. We have a reservation to get to. And Jocelyn and I have a big surprise!" "You mean bigger than you getting married?" Isabelle asked, and I couldn't help but laugh. She smiled at me as my mom ushered us all out of the house. Robert, my mom, Isabelle and I got into what I guess was Robert's car, and Alec and Jace got into Alec's. I zoned out on the ride, thinking about how much my life had suddenly changed. Before I knew it, we were pulling into the coolest restaurant in town and then we were being seated. With Jace on one side of me and Isabelle on the other, I was supremely uncomfortable. Isabelle kept trying to make small talk, which I promptly ignored, so she started texting someone. Alec was deep in conversation with my mom and Robert. Jace was poking my shoulder with his spoon. "Seriously Jace? Are you two years old? Why are you here? Last I heard, your last name wasn't Lightwood or Garroway!" He actually looked taken aback for a second. "My parents died a couple months ago. I live with the Lightwoods." _Oh, that's not was I was expecting. God, his face was beautiful when he was acting like a normal human being. Wait, beautiful? He's getting to me. Ahhhhhh!_ Despite thinking all this I simply said, "Oh, that sucks." He smiled his award winning smile at me. I swear, he could light half of Africa with that smile. It took my breath away. "You didn't say you were sorry," he whispered. "What?" I asked, confused. "People always say they are sorry for my loss, which pisses me off. You didn't, so thanks." "No problem," I replied. "My dad died a few years back, so I get it." He actually looked grateful. He was different tonight.

Suddenly, Robert was tapping his glass, looking eager. My mom was watching him and smiling. Once we were all listening, he grabbed my mom's hand and said, "Since Jocelyn and I were unable to include you all in our wedding, we've decided you will be coming on our honeymoon with us! We are all going on a ten day cruise to the Caribbean! We are leaving Monday, and when we get back Clary and Jocelyn will be moving into Lightwood manor with us." All four of us teenagers were suddenly excited about a cruise. I couldn't help myself from chatting with Isabelle about what to pack and what we were going to do. My mom interrupted the conversations when she added, "And you can each invite a friend." I knew immediately that I would invite Simon, my best friend since 1st grade, so I said, "I want Simon to come." "I'm bringing Maggie!" shouted Izzy. Magnus was the only one of Izzy's friends that I could actually stand, so I was happy. He was super flamboyant and loved glitter, but he was kind and had a great sense of humor. Alec and Jace declined the offer to bring a friend, saying they would have only invited each other anyway.

The night didn't end up too bad. Alec was sweet, and I think I could actually be happy to be around him. Jace was actually tolerable, surprisingly. Probably because he was on his best behavior. Izzy, as Isabelle told me to call her, was actually really sweet. We made plans to go swim suit shopping tomorrow and she said she would help me pack. My mom and Robert were cuddled on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. She looked so happy. I was going to try to be happy, for her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all. As I was thinking, Jace walked up to me. "So Red, when are we getting together to do the down and dirty?" "What?" I questioned him. "Please, we all know you love me," he responded. I was angry now. "Despite what you think, _Jace_, not all girls fall at your feet. And no one could love you more than you love yourself." His face was unreadable as I turned to walk away. Then he slapped me on the ass and I turned around, fuming. "You fucking idiot. If you ever, and I mean ever, touch me again, you'll lose your right hand, and we all know how much you need it for your own… enjoyment." Without looking at him, I walked into the kitchen, waiting for him to leave. When the Lightwoods and Jace left, my mom gave me a big hug. "Thank you," she whispered, and I could feel the tears falling from her face. "Thank you so much, Clare." "No problem Mom, I promise I want to be okay with this. I just want you to be happy. Anyhow, Izzy's coming tomorrow, so I need to go get some sleep." I kissed her on the cheek and went to my bedroom, where I promptly changed into pajamas and passed out on my bed, trying not to think of that jackass Jace.


	2. Chapter 2

Why in the world did we have to leave at 5 in the morning? I was half asleep, sipping on my iced vanilla latte in the back of a huge stretch limo, surrounded by my newly expanded family. Suitcases were stacked in the trunk and we were on our way to the airport to catch a flight to Miami, where the cruise would begin. I knew the Lightwoods were rich, but traveling in this kind of luxury was totally new to me. My dad owned a bookstore and my mom was an art teacher. We were always comfortable, but this was insane. A limo to the airport, first class plane tickets, suites on the ship, no luxury had been spared. Apparently Robert is some hot shot lawyer. Robert was checking his email and my mom was resting her head on Robert's shoulder, singing to the music in the background. Simon was sitting next to me, obviously staring at Isabelle (it was actually kind of pathetic how he reacted to this entire situation). Alec, Jace and Isabelle were all sleeping. At least I wasn't the only miserable anti-morning person.

I reflected on the last three days. After our Friday dinner, the weekend sped by. On Saturday, Izzy and I went to the mall. I never knew people could turn shopping into an Olympic sport, but if anyone could it would be Izzy. With her dad's black AmEx in her hand, she bought everything she liked for me and herself. I left with bikinis, tank tops, dresses, shorts, and flip flops. After that, we went to dinner. She was actually sweet. We gossiped and laughed. She asked me about my friends and seemed really interested in getting to know them, which made me happy. I could really be friends with her, I think. On Sunday, my mom and I spent the day packing. I packed all my new clothes, some comfortable old things, and my dad's blanket that I never travel without. My mom was so nervous and excited I thought she was going to explode as she was making sure our passports, tickets, and belongings were all ready. My thoughts of the weekend were interrupted as the limo made a sudden stop in front of the airport. Robert got out, followed by Jace, Simon, and Alec, to get the bags while my mom, Izzy, Magnus, and I leisurely exited and watched them. "Thanks boys!" Magnus said, winking at Alec, who blushed. We all knew Alec was gay, but he was really self conscious about it so we tried not to bring it up. I think Magnus' comfort with his sexuality made Alec nervous.

In my hazy, early morning mind, we jumped from the curb of the airport to the plane. Somehow, I ended up seated next to Jace, which was awkward but exhilarating. For some reason, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since our conversation at dinner on Friday. Today, he had been unusually quiet. So I decided to initiate conversation; I wanted to get to know him better. Izzy and Simon were talking excitedly in front of us. In the row behind us, Alec and Magnus were awkwardly trying to ignore each other (but failing. The sexual tension there was crazy!). And my mom and Robert were behind them, doing God knows what. Probably making out. They were worse than teenagers, I swear. Anyhow, I was bored, so Jace was my only option. "I know I'm good looking at all, but you really don't have to stare at me," he interrupted my thoughts. "Don't flatter yourself," I responded casually, trying to not look as flustered as I felt. "Aw, Red, I don't need to flatter myself, I have plenty of people to do that for me. Including you. Someone like you should feel blessed to be in my presence."_ What does "someone like you" mean?_ Suddenly, I felt trapped, which I guess I was. The only escape with the bathroom, so I abruptly stood up and ran to the bathroom before tears could start falling. Ever since my dad died, I've been extra sensitive to teasing. That's why Aline and her group bother me so much – they could always get a rise out of me. I hated crying in the bathroom every day, but I did, because I was just overly emotional and I didn't have my dad to comfort me anymore. So now I was just the shy, crazy ginger that was an easy target.

There was someone knocking on the bathroom door just as I stopped crying. I wiped my eyes and splashed my face with water, hoping no one would notice the red tinge to my eyes. I opened the door and slammed into… Jace. _Dammit_. "Clary, listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, really." He looked so upset, I couldn't help but melt a little, but I tried to push my way around him anyway. He pushed me into the tiny bathroom and closed the door behind us. I couldn't breathe, we were so close together. I could see the flecks of brown in his golden eyes. "Seriously, Clary. I'm trying. There's something about you – you're different. You make me… you make me feel something. For the first time in so long. And I don't know what to do about it." My breath caught in my throat. He looked… broken. I sighed. "Jace, you don't have to put on your cool guy front with me. I've already met the real you. And he's a nice guy." He looked at me with his molten eyes before he opened the door and ushered me back to our rows. Luckily, everyone was asleep or otherwise entertained and didn't notice our absence. I looked out the window as Jace grabbed my hand and closed his eyes to sleep.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes Izzy was announcing that we were in Miami. The rest of the family was ahead of us, on their way to meet the limo driver by baggage claim. "So…" Izzy said, "you and Jace huh?" I looked at her like she had horns. "What are you talking about?" She smiled, "I saw you two holding hands. And while he was sleeping he kept whispering something, so I got up to hear what he was saying. He was saying 'Clary' over and over again." At this, I blushed. "Listen Iz, I don't know what's going on. As soon as I know, you will." She just grinned wider and walked silently with me to meet everyone else. Jace kept staring at me, so, as soon as we got in the limo on the way to the port, I took out my book and began reading, hoping to avoid his glare. "Hey, Clare, we're here." Simon's voice broke my concentration during one of my favorite scenes in _City of Heavenly Fire._ Oh, well, I can always read it again. He grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the ship, following everyone else.

The ship was insanely large. I've never seen anything so big and luxurious looking in my life. There were ten levels, and I grabbed a brochure of everything it offered as I walked onto the ship. We all got our room assignments and keys. Izzy and I were in one room. Simon and Magnus were next door and Jace and Alec were across the hall. Our parents were upstairs in the "Captain's Quarters" which is apparently a super fancy suite. They wanted space away from the kids, I guess. As soon as we were settled into our rooms, and our luggage was brought to our rooms, Simon and I decided to go swimming, and the others chose to join us. I slipped into an emerald green bikini that matches my eyes, a white, see through, strapless dress, and white flip flops. Suddenly, I was happy that Izzy had helped me picking out bathing suits, because I really looked good. I threw my hair into a messy bun. Izzy was wearing a really cute black suit with jean short and a tank top. When we opened our door, Simon was waiting and the three of us made our way to the pool deck.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. Now, to address some of the reviews. Jace is OOC in this story. He's kind of moody - he's a sensitive and guy pretending not to be. And, yes, when he is being his pretend, cocky self he would totally slap Clary on the ass just to piss her off. Also, airplane bathrooms are super small. I'm pretty sure Clary and Jace were almost on top of each other, honestly. And Clary WAS reading City of Heavenly Fire. But that doesn't mean that it's the same book in the story than it is in real life. Maybe it's a sci-fi novel? Who knows! Anyhow, this chapter has a bit of back story as well as CLACE, but not much action in this chapter, honestly. But it kind of defines their new friendship/ relationship. Please, continue to review. Honestly, Malec and Sizzy our totally side pairings in this story so I don't know how much I will talk about them. **

"I have to admit, I was having fun. Splashing in the water with Izzy was super fun. She helped me loosen up. And I could totally tell that there was a spark between her and Simon. When she slopped off her shorts and tank top, I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. I definitely needed to work on getting them together. They would be adorable. But anyhow, back to our day. We splashed in the pool, enjoyed the water slides, and tanned all day. We even ate lunch poolside. Seriously, it was awesome. I officially love cruises. Izzy was telling Simon and I all kinds of embarrassing stories about Alec, Jace, Aline, Magnus and the rest of the "popular crowd." So much blackmail information was being shared, I couldn't wait until school started again! _I never knew that Aline sucked her thumb in MIDDLE SCHOOL! Hahaha, I finally have leverage._ Alec and Magnus joined us in the pool later, in their own little world together, but they soon left, hopefully to make out in private.

I decided to draw for a little bit, so I left Izzy and Simon in the pool (to shamelessly flirt with each other) and went to the lounger where I left my bag. I dried off with my towel, slid my sunglasses over my eyes, and took out my sketch pad and pencils. I immediately started drawing the ship and the beautiful ocean around it. "Excuse me, miss" I heard, so I looked up. "I couldn't help but notice your drawing. It's beautiful. Is anyone sitting here?" Before me was a gorgeous boy, motioning towards the lounger next to me. He looked around my age and he had black hair and startling black eyes. He was the definition of dark and mysterious and he was smiling at me with a twinkle in his eyes. Before I could say anything, Jace came barreling over to us. "Sorry I'm late, thanks for saving me a seat, Red!" Confused, I looked at him – he was smirking. He knew exactly what he was doing. "Hey dude, I'm Jace," he said as he on the chair next to me. "Sebastian" the boy said, glaring at Jace. Then he turned back to me. "I'll see ya around…?" "Clary" I said, smiling and doing my best to sound flirtatious. "Right, see you around, Clary" he said with a wink, and I couldn't help but see Jace's hands balled into fists next to me as I waved goodbye to Sebastian, trying to hide my anger at Jace.

"What the hell Jace?!" He just looked at me, still smirking. Then he suddenly stood up and took off his shirt. _Damn. Why did he have to be so distractingly good looking?_ "He's bad news," was all Jace replied as he sat back down on the lounger. He pulled out his iPhone and popped his ear buds in, clearly done with the conversation. But I was so not done. I sat up and yanked the cord to his earbuds. "You ass, he was nice and he was totally flirting with me! You don't see me getting in between you and your whores, do you? Hell, you know nothing about me!" He didn't respond, he just kept staring at me, his mouth open. Clearly, no one has ever called him out on his bullshit before. He was stunned into silence. So, naturally, I kept ranting. "Seriously, what is your problem? You and your little minion Aline never leave me alone! Why? Why are you out to get me?" At this point, people were staring. Izzy and Simon were climbing out of the pool, looking like they were entering the lion's den. Before they reached us, I grabbed my stuff and left, running quickly to my room. I decided to take a shower and get rid of all my tears. I was not going to let Jace ruin my day again. Let's just say this is not the first time Jace was an ass to me and any potential boyfriend of mine. It was an obnoxious pattern, which I hoped would end now that we are almost family. I got out and re-dressed in shorts and a loose tee shirt that used to belong to Simon. There was a knock on the door. Assuming it was Simon coming to check on me, I opened the door, trying to plaster a smiled onto my face. It wasn't Simon.

My expression immediately dropped as I saw Jace in the doorway. He was here to rub it in. He scared Sebastian away and I really didn't feel like talking to him. Was I being a brat? Maybe. But if you knew what he did to my last boyfriend, John, you'd understand. John was on the football team with Jace. They were friends. But he was also an amazing artist, and we met in art class. We flirted and before too long he asked me to go on a date with him. We immediately felt a connection and started dating. Jace and Aline found out. At lunch one day, John and I were sitting at a picnic table outside talking when Jace came over to us. "Red, you telling John your secret?" he asked. My face contorted in confusion. "Oh, come on Red, you need to tell him how you and that Simon kid were making out in the gym the other day. I saw you. Don't deny it." I remember thinking,_ he's so god damn believable, I almost believe him and I KNOW I didn't kiss Simon_. John's face looked pained and he asked me if it was true. I denied it, but he didn't believe me. And if there was any doubt in his mind, it ended when Aline showed up and said she'd seen it too. John broke up with me then and there, telling me he knew something was going on between me and Simon. I just cried and begged him to listen to me. From that day on, he wouldn't so much as look at me. And there were rumors of Simon and I's "sexual escapades" all over school for months. It was awful. It was a god send when the summer finally came, because John moved away and I didn't have to worry about going back to school and his accusatory glare every day. Over the last year, he was able to scare away potential love interests. He told Mark that I had an STD. He told Will that I had a baby. Ugh, it was awful.

So now, with Jace standing in front of me, I couldn't help but overreact. Once again, he was ruining my personal life. Then I saw his face. Really saw it. He looked upset. Feeling myself soften toward his, I tried to slam the door closed, but he grabbed it and walked inside my tiny cabin. He sat on Izzy's bed, never looking me in the eyes. I sat across from him on my bed, but they two beds were so close that our knees kept knocking together. An electricity ran through me every time they touched. We sat in silence for what felt like hours. He was staring at his hands, I was staring at him. Finally I got the courage to say something. "Why?" His head snapped up. "Why what?" he asked, looking me in the eyes, finally. "Why did you do it?" He sighed and tugged on his hair roughly. "I don't freaking know, Clary. I don't know why I can't stop thinking about you. I don't know why the thought of you with another guy makes me cringe. I don't know and I can't control it," he said. I looked at him in awe and whispered, "But you don't even know me." He nodded. "I know. But, then again, I do. I know you giggle when you're nervous. I know you hate speaking in class. I know that you and Simon are so close that you finish each other's sentences, but that you never look at him as anything other than a brother. I know you're a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl. I know you love to draw and, when you like whatever you're drawing, you smile and stick your tongue out a little bit, like you're bragging to yourself. And I know that when you were with John, I wanted to die every day. Until I couldn't take it anymore. I'm so sorry, Clary. Really."

Now it was my turn to be shocked. _What in the world? Did he just confess that he's obsessed with me?_ I moved to sit next to him on Izzy's bed. "Jace," I whispered. "You've made my life miserable for years. In sixth grade, you spilled milk over my head at least once a week. In eighth grade, you tripped me constantly and laughed at me in class. In ninth grade, I was "Virgin Girl" for a year because you thought it was a cool nickname. And last year, you and Aline ruined my relationship with John. Then you set Aline on me – she tormented me all year, Jace." He looked broken; when he moved to talk I stopped him. "Wait, let me finish. You're teasing made my life miserable. I'm about to be a senior in high school, and I'm not even excited. Instead, I'm dreading it. Because of you. But…" I paused, taking a deep breath. "I forgive you. I want to move on. We're going to be living together and I want to be okay. I want to be your friend." He looked at me questioningly. "Really?" He didn't believe me, so I nodded enthusiastically.

A huge smile broke out on his face. Before I knew what was happening, he angled toward me and his lips met mine. I froze, completely surprised. Without my permission, my lips started moving in rhythm with his. _How is this happening right now? I hate him. I JUST agreed to forgive him. And now I'm kissing him. Crapppp._ I put my hands on his toned chest and pushed him away. He looked ashamed of himself and stuttered, "I-I'm s-s-so s-sorry, Clary." He's never stuttered before. We heard the key in the door, and his stoic, player face was back on just as Izzy entered the cabin, smiling and dripping wet. "Clary, Jace, I found you. Dad and Jocelyn want us to all meet in the dining room at six. So, Clary and I need to get ready, god, I'm dripping on the carpet. Where did I put my towel? Jace. Get. Out. Clary and I need to beautify!" Jace got up from the bed and said, "We'll talk about it later." Then he was gone, and I was getting a strange look from Izzy.


	4. Chapter 4

I didn't talk to Jace at dinner. Or at all for the rest of that evening. But I felt his eyes burning into me. I distracted myself by talking to Izzy, my mom, and Robert. The boys excused themselves early and I didn't see any of them for the rest of the night. Don't ask me where they went. Izzy and I decided to go watch "Pitch Perfect" at the on board movie theater, then we went to bed. We had a busy day the next day and wanted to be rested. Plus, I was emotionally exhausted. I slept soundly. I don't remember dreaming, but I do remember waking up in the middle of the night moaning Jace's name. Awkward. Thank goodness Izzy was asleep for that one. Clearly, Jace was on my mind. In fact, I couldn't get my mind off of him. What the hell was going on with him? And why did I even care? And why did I like kissing him so damn much!? I could still feel his soft lips on mine, and I wanted a repeat so badly that it hurt.

Finally morning came, and the ship docked in Cozumel, Mexico. The group decided to go to the beach and go snorkeling. Alec and Magnus acted like an old married couple, finishing each other's sentences and being all cute and crap. Mom and Robert were acting like horny teenagers, sucking each other's faces off. Izzy and Simon were lost in each other's eyes. That left me and Jace. _When did everyone pair off? The one thing you can rely on when you put together a bunch of attractive teenagers is that lust will bloom! _Even with love blooming everywhere, Jace wouldn't look at me. I thought I looked cute enough to at least get a glance from him, especially after all the staring and kissing yesterday. My red hair was flowing around my face and I was wearing my sexiest green bikini with jean shorts and a small tank. All I could hope for is that the bikini would knock his socks off. I couldn't help it when my mind wandered. _Why do I suddenly care? I can't like Jace! It can't happen – we're going to be living under the same roof in four days! Plus, he's an asshole. Isn't he? Everything is so confusing. _As soon as the van got to the beach, I ran to the water, tossing my stuff in the sand on the way. It was gorgeous. I'd never seen water so blue or clear. And the sun was at just the right angle to be bright without glaring into my eyes. I was suddenly glad that I brought my sketch pad. When I turned back, Jace was shirtless. Again. Hot damn. He was sitting on a towel, listening to music. Alec, Magnus, Izzy, and Simon were playing beach volleyball a ways away and Mom and Robert were missing. I left the water's edge and walked toward Jace.

As I reached him, I shimmied out of my jean shorts and slipped my tank top over my head. My bikini was red and tiny. It was one of the one's Izzy picked out before we left. In all honesty, I probably would have never worn it if I wasn't so confused and excited about what happened between Jace and I yesterday. I mean, it showed way too much skin for me. The halter top dipped low, showing off my modest but round and perky breasts. The bottoms were basically a tiny triangle tied together with string – my ass was almost all on display. Thank god my mom wasn't around when I bought that. Surprisingly, I was comfortable in it. I gathered my clothes and made sure to swing my hips as I closed the distance between myself and Jace. He suddenly looked up and my heart fluttered. He slid his sunglasses over his head, not even hiding it as he looked me up and down over and over again. Then his eyes met mine and he smirked. He pulled the ear buds out of his ears as I sat down close to him. Again, our legs were touching. Again, I felt sparks.

"Red, I didn't know you had it in you to wear something like that. Are you trying to give every guy on this beach a heart attack? I mean… damn." He was cracking his knuckles nervously and looking at me. "Nope," I responded, "just one particular guy," I said with a wink. _I've apparently gained more confidence in the last week then I've had in my whole life._ He smiled a real smile at that and moved a bit closer to me. We were touching from our shoulders to our feet. It was magic. All I wanted to do was twist my body into him and kiss him. So I did what felt natural. I turned my body towards him, looking him in the eyes. He was staring back at me fiercely as I cupped his cheek with my hand. Slowly, our lips moved closer and brushed lightly. And then it was like a dam broke. My lips were pounding against his. I laid back and he was on top of me. There was nothing except our lips moving together. He nipped at my lower lip and I let out a tiny gasp. Then, his tongue was wrestling with mine. It was heaven. My hands made their way to his hair and he groaned as I pulled a fistful of it roughly. His hands were sliding up and down my body, leaving tingles everywhere he touched. The fact that we were on a public beach totally escaped me as his thumb brushed over my left breast, making me moan quietly. His lips left mine and he began kissing, licking, and sucking my neck and the sensitive spot where my neck and shoulder meet. My hands slid over his rock hard abs and brushed inside the waistband of his bathing suit. Suddenly, we were grinding against each other and it was _heaven. _I swear, I've never felt anything like it in my entire life and we still had fabric separating us. Our lips met again, savoring every moment of utter bliss.

I snapped out of my lust when I heard someone clearing their throat above us. We broke apart suddenly, both breathing heavily, and looked up. Alec, Izzy, Magnus, and Simon were all standing above us, mouths hanging open. "Holy shit," was all Alec said. Izzy started squealing and shouting that she knew something was going on. Simon stared at Jace blankly. And then there was Magnus. He smiled and said, "Hey lovebirds! I was hoping to have a Sex on the Beach NOT see sex on the beach! Plus, there's no glitter. Where's the fun without glitter? Right Alec?" Magnus winked, Alec blushed and the rest of us attempted to stifle our giggles. Jace huffed. "Go away guys, Clary and I need to talk." Izzy scoffed, "Sure, you'll talk. I'm too young and innocent to see you two make babies on the beach! Come on Simon, lets go swim!" The others trailed after her to the ocean. Jace turned back to me and smiled. "Well, none of them seemed shocked. So that's good… right?" I nodded, smiling back to him.

Now that he wasn't touching me, my mind starting working again. We were going to be moving in with each other in mere days. There's no way anything could happen between us. "Jace," I said nervously, "this can't happen. We're going to be living together. My mom and Robert are not going to be okay with this. We're practically related." He laughed. "Clary, we aren't related and we never will be. I am never going to be your brother. I don't give a damn what Robert and Jocelyn think or what anybody thinks. I love you, I think I've loved you for a long time. And now you know. I'm not going back. I hated myself for the way I treated you. And it was because I was mad at myself for loving you. It's not going to happen again." He looked so sincere and vulnerable. I couldn't help it, I leaned closer and kissed him. He deepened the kiss. After what felt like seconds, I once again heard a throat clear. We looked up… straight into the eyes of my mom. And Robert. And they were NOT happy. _Crap. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Finally a chapter from Jace's point of view!**

**Also, it is NOT incest in any way, shape, or form. They are not related and Robert has NOT adopted Jace. Jace is simply living with him until he graduates high school since his parents are dead and he is Alec's best friend.**

**Also, I am having major writer's block with this story. I need help – review and give me ideas. Otherwise, I am going to have to put this story on hold until I can think of where to go with it.**

Pulling away from Clary, I saw her mom and Robert glaring at us… if looks could kill, we'd both be dead and buried. This was not the way this was supposed to happen! I've been in love with Clary from afar for years, and having her mom marry Robert was an unexpected stroke of luck for me. But I wanted to do it right. I wanted to be the perfect guy for her and slowly introduce the idea to Robert and Jocelyn. But that wasn't going to happen now, I guess. "Hey Rob, Jocelyn. What's up?" I was trying and failing to be casual – my voice was noticeably higher than normal. Clary and I met eyes for a second and I could tell that she was feeling just as nervous as I was – her leg was literally shaking. The silence was deafening.

"Back to the ship, now," Jocelyn said sternly, turning on her heels and dragging Robert behind her to catch a taxi. Clary and I got up and gathered our stuff in silence and ran to catch up. As we got in the cab, Robert called Alec and told him that we were going back to the ship and we would see the rest of them at dinner on the ship. When we got to the ship, Jocelyn led us up to their palatial honeymoon suite. "Sit," Robert said. He's not a man of many words, but I'd never seen him this quiet. It honestly freaked me out. So I sat down on the sofa and Clary sat down in the chair across from the sofa. Jocelyn and Robert sat on the loveseat in between the two. They were both wearing stone faces and staring at us, eyes flicking between Clary's eyes and mine. "Explain." Again with the one word sentences! This can't be good.

I looked at Clary, pleading with her to speak. I hated disappointing Robert, and I wasn't quite sure how to explain without getting an attitude and making things worse. "Mom, please, you have to understand. We didn't plan this. I swear. I hated him up until that first dinner. Then I got to know him and found out he was a jerk to me because he didn't know how to deal with his feelings. And then I realized I had feelings for him too. We can't deny ourselves the chance to see where this goes!" Jocelyn looked almost pained while Clary spoke, but Robert listened intently. I was sliding my hands through my hair and gripping the back of my neck with my hand. Before Clary could continue, Jocelyn jumped up. "Clary, we will all be living under the same roof! How are we supposed to be okay with the two of you living in the same house? You are hormonal teenagers. I am not letting a relationship happen under the same roof. I am too young to be a grandma! And Jace, I've heard about your reputation. What happens when you break my daughter's heart and then she has to look at you across the dining room table every day?

I was a bit stunned by that. I would never hurt Clary. And she said _when _not _if. When I broke Clary's heart. _Before I could respond, Clary did. "Mom, how can you say those things about Jace?" She was screaming and her face was all red. "You know what he's been through. I can't even believe you right now. Jace and I NEVER said that we were going to be having sex in our house. Please, we've barely kissed. And you know I respect your rules. I would never violate your trust. But now, I don't really care. I will be with Jace and if you don't like it, I don't really care. What are you going to do, throw us out? No, you wouldn't do that. So what, the silent treatment until I graduate? FINE. I am in love with Jace and you can't change it!" With that, she grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room. I was too stunned to do or say anything. I couldn't even think straight. _She loved me. Oh. My. God. She loved me. And I loved her. Now what? _My mind was running as I followed her to the abandoned theater. During the day, it was empty – a perfect place to talk in private.

Clary sat down on one of the plush couches and had be sit next to her. I was in shock. "Jace," she said, "please, Jace. Say something. Are you mad at me? Do you not feel as strongly about me? Did I do something wrong. God, I'm such an idiot. I can't believe this. I just screwed things up with my mom for a guy who clearly doesn't care. Why? Why me?" She was rambling now. I had to shut her up. "Be quiet," I mumbled. And then she was quiet, pulling her legs up to her body, wrapping her arms around them, and resting her head on her knees. She was about to cry, I could tell. I had to say something. "Clary," I said. Her emerald eyes met mine, I could still see the anger and hurt coursing through them. "I'm just trying to process what happened just now. I swear I heard you say you love me. Which is crazy because five days ago you wanted to kill me and now you're willing to sacrifice your relationship with your mom for me. And I'm so messed up. I've ruined your life and we aren't even dating. I just know I am going to screw this up. I've never felt the way I feel for you. I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose you. Once I have you, I can't lose you!"

Clary's hand came to rest on my cheek, comforting me. The anger in her eyes was gone, replaced with an emotion I'd never seen before. She scooted her body closer to me, her eyes never leaving mine. "Jace, I don't know either. I've never felt like this. I don't know how it happened so fast. I just knew. I've never done this before. Is it complicated? Yeah, more than most relationships. Will it be worth it? Yeah, I think it will be. Mom and Robert will come around. My mom knows me. She knows how much I care about her opinion and that I wouldn't go against her unless I really believe in something. I know you're scared. I am too. Do you not want to do this anymore?" Tears were slipping from her eyes. I took her hand from my cheek and held it in mine. Slowly, so slowly I could barely stand it, I closed the distance between us. Our lips touched and suddenly all was right in the world. The sparks I felt the first time our lips met were still there. After a few minutes of soft kisses and gentle touches, we pulled apart. "I guess we have some stuff to figure out, huh?" She giggled and I smiled, the familiar comfort spreading through me.


End file.
